NOT REAL NEWS: Reports of Clinton probe arrests incorrect

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — No employees of the Clinton Foundation were arrested on the first day of a corruption probe, despite the claims in a widely shared online story.

The conservative satire site ladiesofliberty first published the article claiming 22 people were arrested on charges that included drug trafficking, money laundering and perjury. Other conservative websites have since run stories with identical wording. The story cites U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and says one of those arrested is Frank Murphy, identified as running the Clinton “security” company.

There is no record of Sessions announcing the arrests. A spokesman for the Clinton Foundation says the arrests “did not happen” and Murphy “does not exist.”

In January, two people familiar with an investigation confirmed to The Associated Press that the FBI is investigating whether the Clinton Foundation accepted donations in exchange for political favors while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. The people were not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was unclear when the probe began, but the sources told AP it had been ongoing for several months.

This is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.